About your geodesic dome.

 

When you build one of our two-frequency geodesic domes, you'll be

recreating a model of the iconic geodesic sphere concept of inventor

R. Buckminster ("Bucky") Fuller. Introduced over 60 years ago, these

structures embody the pioneering work of Fuller as he envisioned

housing of the future. Always seeking maximum efficiency (as exhibited

by nature), Fuller employed tensional forces in construction as opposed

to relying on compressive forces alone which was the de facto method

of construction at the time. Unlike square right-angle buildings, geodesic

domes strike a balance between tension and compression to create extremely

strong structures, without internal support, that can enclose the maximum about of interior space with the minimum amount of surface area.   

 

Fuller’s popularity dramatically increased with the design of a 250-foot diameter, 20-story high dome which was used to house the U.S.A. Pavilion at the 1967 World's Fair in Montreal, Canada. Other designs which utilize similar

dome architecture includes the Epcot center in

Orlando, the gold dome in Oklahoma City, and

the MillenniumDome (now O2 Arena) in London.

The Southern Illinois University professor and

visionary was convinced that the unique

spherical structure would eventually evolve and

lead to a variety of special and unique

applications. And, of course, he was right. The

geodesic dome has since been adapted for

residential and commercial construction

throughout the world. As a testament to their

stout design, domes are used as living spaces in polar regions, the most inhospitable habitats on earth.

 

Due to their lightweight and expansive interior space, geodesic dome configurations have been proposed for use on planets other than our own. In fact,  these futuristic structures are prevalent within modern media

as depicted in Stephen King’s

novel Under the Dome (2009)

and the TV adaption of the same

name (2013).  There are also

dome-like structures in films like

Silent Running (1972); Logans

Run (1976); and on the planet

Krypton in the 1978 Superman

film. These different iterations of

the dome capture a (largely 20th

century) fascination with geodesic structures, and how they became synonymous with

visualizing and interpreting ‘utopian’ futures. But the concept of domes remains as a popular projection into the twenty-first century. With the help of computer computations and AI (Fuller had access to neither), we may be fast approaching the day colonies of space travelers will be living full time within the confines of something similar to a geodesic dome that will provide everything needed to sustain life as we know it.

 

But the story doesn’t stop there. Two years after Fuller’s death in

1983, a group of scientists at Rice University discovered a new

organic molecule (C60) that so mimicked structures designed by

Fuller, a group of molecules were generally named “fullerenes”

with one molecule more aptly named “buckminsterfullerene”.

Referred to as “Bucky Balls” these molecules were quickly

rationalized as the basis of an icosahedral symmetry closed

cage structure. To add more credence to the finding, three

scientists were awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

for their roles in the discovery of buckminsterfullerene and the

related class of molecules - the fullerenes.

 

So geodesics lives on in the hearts and minds of scientists and hobbyists alike. Perhaps you’re building this dome for a coffee table-top display or to hang from the ceiling. Or maybe you love working outside the box (dome) when adding something new to your hobby room collection. The scientist in you may want to construct

a geodesic dome in an effort to learn -

firsthand - about geometry, great circles

and synergy.

Whatever your creative purpose, you're sure

to enjoy the hands-on experience of following

in the footsteps of one of the great futurists of

the 20th century – R. Buckminster Fuller.